Field of the Invention
Formamides comprise a class of valuable commercial compounds having uses as solvents in the chemical process industry for the manufacture of acrylic fibers and polyurethane and in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and pesticides. In general, formamides are prepared by reacting the corresponding amine with carbon monoxide in the presence of a metallic catalyst to promote the desired reaction. A disadvantage of the process is the difficulty of separating the formamide product from the reaction mixture containing the metallic catalyst. It has also been known to prepare formamides by reacting the corresponding amine with an ester such as methyl formate. Neither of these known processes are entirely satisfactory.
An improved method for preparing formamides which is not dependent on the use of a metal catalyst and which overcomes the differences of the known process has now been discovered.
It is an object of this invention to provide an efficient process for the carbonylation of amines to formamides.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel process in which the carbonylation of amines is effected in the absence of a metallic catalyst.